The number of 60-plus people in India is increasing fast and they are not only fit and agile but have a vast administrative experience to contribute to India’s “Vision of 2047”, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

India’s population dividend could be an instrument of nation-building. Apart from youth, the elder citizens, including the pensioners, could also be channelised for building a strong and prosperous India, he said while addressing a programme commemorating “Nine Years of Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare” at Vigyan Bhawan here.

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He noted that 70 per cent of the population of India was below 40 years of age and the number of pensioners in India outnumbered the serving employees and after retirement. Their valuable services can prove to be a game-changer.

Dr Singh pointed out that radical pension reforms and changes in rules and regulations were carried out at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014 in response to emerging societal needs.

He said the government took measures not only for serving/retiring employees but also worked for the Ease of Living of pensioners and Digital Life Certificate was another step towards this direction.

He pointed out that in November 2014, an Aadhar-based scheme for online submission of digital life certificates, “Jeevan Pramaan” was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure transparency and “Ease of Living” for pensioners while submitting their life certificates.

The minister informed that the Pension Department has undertaken a nationwide Digital Life Certificate through Face Authentication campaign in November 2022 which has resulted in 30 lakhs pensioners submitting their life certificates digitally.

He also congratulated for being the first Department in the Government of India to use Face Recognition Technology.

Jitendra Singh also pointed out several humanitarian pension-related policy changes like the dependent divorced daughter of a deceased government servant/spouse made eligible for family pension, enhanced family pension at 50 per cent of last pay drawn allowed in case an employee dies before completing seven years of service, order making an eligible child of deceased government servant/pensioner, suffering from a mental or physical disability, to receive family pension for life if his/her overall income from sources other than a family pension is less than the entitled family pension at the ordinary rate and DR admissible, apart from relaxation in the provision of family pension for divorced daughters and Divyangs,

He also informed that at the behest of the PM, the department also started a portal entitled “Anubhav” to showcase the experiences in the government of retiring officials which has now become a huge resource base for the government.

The department not only introduced the concept of Pension Adalats but has leveraged technology to hold digital Adalats through video-conferencing.